We line up for free hot dogs like they are going out of style.
We accept coupon books from anyone who hands them out.
We attend athletic events on the university's dollar.
And now we should listen to a historical figure speak about his experiences at no cost.
Terrence Roberts is one of the Little Rock Nine and he will speak at 7 p.m. in Pruis.
The Little Rock Nine was a group of black students who tried to attend a whites-only school after the monumental Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
In 1957, Arkansas governor Orval Faubus ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School.
Faubus' act directly defied the Supreme Court's order to desegregate schools. A federal judge ruled Faubus' goals were not to maintain order and called for the National Guard to be removed from the school.
President Eisenhower then called for federal troops to escort the students into the school.
Roberts tried to go to school, something most of us do every day, and was greeted with a mob of more than 1,000 angry Southerners.
Ball State University provides students with hundreds of opportunities to hear people speak about areas of expertise. Roberts' speech will be greatly influenced by something he lived through that molded his perspective.
He has a primary account of history, and it would be a disservice to yourself if you allowed an opportunity like this to pass without noticing.
Roberts plans to speak about how to improve human relations at Ball State. In addition to his involvement in history, Roberts has insight into the human psyche and leads the master's program at Antioch University.
Although our university cannot compare to the hostile environment that greeted those students more than 50 years ago, there's always room for improvement.
Opportunities like this don't come along every day; once you're out of college, you'll have to pay to listen to lectures from speakers with this experience and expertise.
We know it's cold outside, but the result of this experience will last longer than the time your nose is cold.
Line up like they're giving out Carter's and you'll be equally pleased with the results.
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